What’s in a hero?

 

         On February 9, 2014, University of Missouri star defensive end Michael Sam “came out” and publicly admitted he was gay. As one can imagine, Twitter, Facebook, and all forms of social media became a live wire with this story. He was called a hero and lauded for his courage. My question is this, does “coming out” really make someone a hero? And what does Michael Sam’s potential drafting mean for the public persona of homosexuality in this nation and world wide? And what does it mean for athletics?

        I will be the first to admit I was shocked when I heard the news. Not just because a young man exposed a very private part of his life, but he also did it in the prime of athletic career. As an avid college football fan, I was already knowledgeable of Michael Sam as a football player. And, living in the St. Louis area, provided lots of publicity about the success of Mizzou football. The team went 12-2 this past season, earned a spot in the SEC championship game, and defeated Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. And Mr. Sam was a very large part of said success. In fact, Mr. Sam was the SEC’s co-defensive player of the year and garnered 1st team All-American honors. Not exactly the image of the prototypical gay man. He wasn’t “switching”. He doesn’t speak in a particularly effeminate tone. He doesn’t seem to wear pink (not that it is a bad color palatte) or be passive. The young man can play football and play it at a high level. So, is he being applauded just for defying a stereotype? For being honest? Or for potentially sacrificing his professional athletic career?

             My personal opinion, is that his sexual orientation is none of my business. I would be lying if I said I “didn’t care” because I am writing this blog because I do care to a degree. I’ve never had a problem with gay men. I always figured I needed less competition for propositioning women as a meagerly attractive straight male. So, seeing two guys together didn’t both me. At all. Sexual orientation is a very private matter. Or is it? A lot of people, on various cable networks, are saying it isn’t a “big deal”. And that society has evolved to a degree where being gay should not even possess a “shock factor”. If sexual orientation is not a “big deal” then why is Mr. Sam’s story the top story for ESPN, The Huffington Post, and probably will be covered on MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN? I think it’s because maybe people are still not as evolved as we pretend to be. This world has a great capacity for good, but there is also a great capacity for intolerance, bigotry, and insufferable cruelty.

            Mr. Sam and the University of Missouri should be applauded for not making one player’s sexual orientation a distracting factor in one of their greatest seasons. And Mr. Sam said he was very honest with his teammates about who he was. He let his teammates and coaches know before the start of the 2013 campaign that he was gay. His teammates embraced him in brotherhood and there was never a story. Coach Gary Pinkel masterfully coached his team and never took the focus off of the team concept. I do not think every coach could have done that; let alone coaches who competed in the premier collegiate football conference in America.

          I read the St. Louis Post-Dispatch today, and Bryan Burwell wrote an article about Mr. Sam and his “secret” not really even being a secret. That, for those who cared to notice, he would wear rainbow colored wristbands to his games. And that, while he never publicly acknowledged he was gay, Mr. Sam said he never would have denied it either. My question is this, if Michael Sam was already quasi-open about being a homosexual the entire season, why is this decision being applauded like it’s the cure to cancer? Does honesty equate to heroism?

          The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a “hero” as a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent, endowed with great strength or ability 2. an illustrious warrior 3. a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities 4. one who shows great courage. Adhering to said definition, Mr. Sam does have several heroic characteristics, including strength, ability, achievement, and courage. I do not believe he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, but I acknowledge that he is taking a huge financial and personal risk by admitting he is gay. American football is the epitome of the machismo sports, in the United States, and to dispel that machismo as a facade does take courage.

       I had a conversation last night and was asked, “If Michael Sam is a hero for declaring himself as gay, can I get one for declaring myself as straight?” I must admit, as part of the “breeder” fraternity, I have never been acknowledged for being a heterosexual. No congratulations, no Twitter responses, no politicians mentioning my name. Sexual orientation isn’t a choice, but the decision to broadcast it is. I guess I just feel that maybe if this issue is made less of an issue, it might be a good thing.

           Facts are facts, and Michael Sam being gay could quite literally change the game. I’m not naive enough to think there haven’t been gay players in the NFL. I’m pretty certain there are gay athletes in every major sport and probably some in every major sport’s hall of fame. But Mr. Sam isn’t disclosing his orientation when his career is over, or to promote a book, he’s doing it before his professional career even begins. While sexual orientation is a private matter, I guarantee any team interested in bringing in Mr. Sam’s talents will want to know some very private details. The NFL is a business, and a very profitable one at that. I hope that Mr. Sam’s talents will transcend the stigma of being a gay man.

          Just today, I’ve read that Sports Illustrated ran a full article, full of anonymous NFL sources who say the league isn't ready for a gay place. One person, an unnamed player personnel assistant, said a gay player would "chemically imbalance" a locker room. Jonathan Vilma, of the New Orleans Saints, said, “I think that he would not be accepted as much as we think he would be accepted," Vilma added. "I don't want people to just naturally assume, like, 'Oh, we're all homophobic.' That's really not the case. Imagine if he's the guy next to me and, you know, I get dressed, naked, taking a shower, the whole nine, and it just so happens he looks at me. How am I supposed to respond?" London Fletcher, formerly of the Washington Redskins echoed a similar sentiment when he was interviewed by Andrea Kremer, the NFL's chief correspondent for player health and safety. He said, “There's such a stigma with gay and homosexuals within male sports. It would be very difficult for that first person to come out." So it's pretty obvious that some people would have a problem playing with Mr. Sam. Their rationales may be childish and ignorant, but their voices do carry some credence with the "powers that be".

        The million dollar question is whether people, like the multi-millionaires in charge of the NFL franchises and their executives and players, will have the ability to look past Mr. Sam’s position as a gay man and focus on his position on the football field? I worry that Mr. Sam’s honesty will rob him of the opportunity to totally eradicate the notion of “the stereotypical gay athlete” and he’ll only have notoriety as the first division 1 football player to come out.

         Are people naturally prejudiced? No, I do not believe so. Any prejudice has to be taught and reinforced. Mr. Sam has the potential to break the cycle of ignorance and fear that has been a major part of the psychological landscape of the world for a very long time. He has been applauded and he has been shunned. I don’t know if a team will draft Mr. Sam. I think his talent and production in college validates him being drafted and I think any professional sportsman wants to win first. If RuPaul, Anderson Cooper, and Chris Colfer could help my team win a championship, then I would hope and pray the general manager would draft them. All Michael Sam needs to do is follow the philosophy of the late Al Davis: JUST WIN BABY!!!!